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<title>“So much for not getting involved.” by markonasurface (idwir)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25976995">“So much for not getting involved.”</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/idwir/pseuds/markonasurface'>markonasurface (idwir)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>50 Quote Prompts [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All For The Game - Nora Sakavic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cross-Posted on Tumblr, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:54:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25976995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/idwir/pseuds/markonasurface</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I don’t want your pity, I want your absence.” pt 2</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>50 Quote Prompts [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1005666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>“So much for not getting involved.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I’ve gotten at least ten requests for a part 2 to “I don’t want your pity, I want your absence.” I really thought I wouldn’t write it, then I started it and left it unfinished. I recently got my 500th follower and thought I’m gonna be one of those blogs that celebrates. So I filled in some blanks. Honestly I think this is just gonna disappoint people, but I did it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two months.</p><p>Andrew wasn’t allowed to lift a racquet for two months which was fine by him and the freshmen. Not so fine with the upperclassmen, definitely not fine at all with Kevin and Neil.</p><p>For the first week Andrew didn’t bother showing up to their mandatory practices or coming home at night. He stayed with Wymack. The first night Wymack came home to him, he raised an eyebrow and sighed.</p><p>The second night he asked, “Again?”</p><p>The third night he rubbed a hand down his face and demanded, “How long do you plan on staying here?”</p><p>The fourth night he took the open bottle from Andrew’s hand and took a long drink.</p><p>It was the fifth night that Neil showed up. Wymack was doing paperwork and he yelled for Andrew to get the door. Andrew looked through the peephole. Then he opened the door and slammed it in Neil’s face for good measure.</p><p>“Let him in, Andrew.”</p><p>Andrew didn’t turn around to face Wymack. He opened the door and stared uninterestedly at the man in front of him. Then he went back to his bed on the couch.</p><p>He ignored every attempt Neil made to talk to him until finally Neil left but not without a warning.</p><p>“I am going to come back and keep coming back until you say something.”</p><p>Three weeks since Neil promised he’d keep coming until they could talk. Andrew had learned it was better to let him into the apartment if he didn’t want Wymack hiding the alcohol.</p><p>Three weeks and Neil had mostly kept his cool, but finally he pleaded, “Please, Drew, tell me how to fix this. Please.” His voice was louder, exasperated and it drew their coach from his office.</p><p>Andrew looked like a cornered animal for half a second before moving to pass Wymack.</p><p>“So much for not getting involved,” Wymack muttered under his breath before turning on Andrew. “Sit your ass back down.”</p><p>“Goodbye.”</p><p>Wymack hurried to block Andrew from leaving. “Just listen to me.”</p><p>Andrew crossed his arms and stared at Wymack. Wymack sighed. “Neil made a mistake.”</p><p>“An unforgivable one.” Andrew made to step around him.</p><p>“Why do you get to decided what’s forgiveable?”</p><p>“Andrew,” Wymack tried again. His hands hovered out in front of him. “The rest of the team already knew the worst of it. Some of them probably guessed.”</p><p>“But they didn’t know,” Andrew felt like the room was turning. He wanted to drop his arms and pretend he didn’t care but he squeezed himself tighter and dug his nails into his own skin. “And he told them.”</p><p>Wymack shook his head and dropped his arms. “Not on purpose. You know he would never do that. It slipped out. The moment was heated and it slipped. People make mistakes. Some people try their hardest not to but they still do. Neil realizes he messed up and he’s sorry. He wasn’t trying to hurt you. It was the opposite. Some people make mistakes and they’re not sorry. He is.”</p><p>“Are you done?”</p><p>“No. Stop trying to hurt yourself,” Wymack said. He paused, considering his next words then decided to put it out there. “You were seven. That’s not your fault. Neil wants to be here for you so let him. Stop punishing yourself.”</p><p>Andrew’s hands dropped to his sides. His fists clenched and unclenched. “Leave.”</p><p>Wymack looked disappointed but he stepped around Andrew and toward his office. He gave Neil a questioning look before closing the door.</p><p>Neil stood and closed the distance between himself and Andrew. He stopped five feet away and waited, only slightly on edge, for Andrew’s next move.</p><p>“I hate you.”</p><p>Neil let out the breath he’d been holding. He was watching Andrew’s back closely so when he turned suddenly to face Neil, he didn’t flinch.</p><p>Andrew took a step forward and then he was right in front of Neil, hand fisted in the front of his shirt.</p><p>“Please, talk to me.” Neil’s voice was quiet.</p><p>He knows if it were anyone else, Andrew would have immediately refused to say anything else. But it was Neil, and Andrew opened his mouth even though no words formed for at least ten seconds.</p><p>“I-I-I need time,” he finally got out. Then, as he gently shoved Neil away, “I hate you,” but the slightest change in octave told Neil exactly what he meant.</p><p>It felt bittersweet. Neil wanted things fixed now. He felt the corners of his mouth turning up and bit his lip. “How much?” he whispered.</p><p>Andrew glared and relief swept through Neil. “Infinity.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>They were going to be okay.</p>
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